Lynette Gunnion Felicity (in red) performs at NZ Opera School Dame Malvina Major Foundation Studio Artist Felicity Tomkins spent lockdown at home alone in her flat in Hamilton, and she sure did keep herself busy! Felicity talks us through what she’s been up to at home, and what she’s been doing in regards to opera this year. … Read more
Jonathan Eyers is a Kiwi baritone, currently based in the UK, studying at Guildhall School of Music and Drama. You may have seen him on stage as Billy in Ross Harris and Vincent O’Sullivan’s Brass Poppies, performed at New Zealand Festival of the Arts and Auckland Arts Festival in March 2016. He played Belcore in … Read more
Emma Pearson is an Australian soprano, based in Wellington with her husband Wade Kernot. Emma was scheduled to sing the Countess in our production of The Marriage of Figaro, due to open next month and now rescheduled for next year. What has Emma been doing in the meantime? She’s launched Avenue Opera with Wade, a … Read more
Anna performs with Felicity Tomkins Dame Malvina Major Foundation Studio Artist Anna Simmons reports in from Tauranga with her lockdown tips and an update on how she’s been using the downtime. Tell us about where you are in lockdown. Where did you come from to be there? Who are you with? I am riding out … Read more
Harry Grigg (centre) with the 2020 Opera in Schools team Our Dame Malvina Major Foundation Studio Artists have been busily working on their programme online during this lockdown period, but they also decided to each record a song to share from their homes to yours. The first in this series features Harry Grigg singing ‘Go, Lovely Rose’ … Read more
As we learnt in the previous post, (go here to view) The Magic Flute is the last opera that Mozart wrote and premiered in 1791. Papageno is one of the characters in the opera, known as ‘The Funny Guy’. Here’s a famous piece from the opera known as the ‘Pa-, pa-, pa Papageno’ duet, curtesy … Read more
Education and outreach work has long been valued by NZ Opera. Our new strategic vision continues to invite you to journey with us as we explore all the mystery and possibilities opera presents! Three strands – Connecting Children, Connecting Young People, and Connecting Communities frame the programme, and last year alone over 28,000 of you … Read more
Our Opera in Schools tour of The Magic Flute and the Broomstick came to an early close due to the Covid-19 situation, and our leading lady Polly Ott ended up staying in New Zealand a little longer than anticipated. Before she flew back to Germany, she and Fiona McCabe (musical director) recorded this special song … Read more
Andrew at Opera in the Park, with Angus Simmons (left) Andrew Gordon is New Zealand Opera’s Participation Co-ordinator. One of his major projects each year is going on the road with our Opera in Schools programme as tour manager. Andrew is also a freelance actor, writer and theatre director, and for this year’s Opera in … Read more
This ANZAC weekend, we have some special music to share. The Juniper Passion is about the Battle of Montecassino in 1944. The work, by New Zealand composer Michael Williams and librettist John Davies in 2011, was performed in Rome in 2013, featuring a cast of New Zealand and Italian singers alongside The Juniper Passion Dance … Read more